Tape dispenser



1.. RUNNING TAPE DISPENSER Feb. 2, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 2, 1963 Feb. 2, 1965 L. RUNNING 3,168,231

TAPE DISPENSER Filed July 2, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3,168,231 Patented Feb. 2, 1965 3,168,231 TAPE DISPENSER Lennart Riiuning, Casilla 2585, Santiago, Chile Filed July 2, 1963, Ser. No. 292,499 6 Claims. (Cl. 225-72) The present invention relates to tape dispensing devices and more particularly to devices adapted for dispensing adhesive tapes and the like, i.e. a tape which is tacky upon at least one of its two surfaces and stored in the shape of a reel.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device of the class above defined which is very simple in its construction and thus can be manufactured at very low cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tape dispensing device of simple and sturdy construction so that its operation becomes very reliable.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tape dispensing device comprising severing means of such a construction that the operator, when pulling at the free end of the tape, can at will either sever equally long tape portions each time or choose any desired length.

The above and other objects of the invention will appear from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the device with the various details thereof in their resting positions;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the positions of the tape severing means in the moment of the severing operation;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of the means for feeding and severing the tape.

The tape dispensing device representing a preferred embodiment of the invention and illustrated in the drawings comprises a frame of substantially triangular shape and equipped with lateral supports, or feet 11. Frame 10 carries a tape supply wheel 12 rotatably mounted on a horizontal shaft 13. A tape reel 14 surrounds the supply wheel 12. Wheel 12 supplies tape in the form of a strip 14a which passes over a feeding and severing mechanism generally designated by reference numeral 15 and described in greater detail hereinbelow.

According to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, said tape feeding mechanism comprises a feeding wheel 16 mounted on a horizontal shaft 17 the one end of which is secured to a swingable arm 18 at the top end thereof. The opposite end of arm 18 is pivotably connected to the frame 10 so that it can carry out a limited swinging movement between a back or passive position and a forward or active position.

At the upper end of the swingable arm 18 there is swinga-bly mounted a second arm 19, which acts as the severing member and is journalled on shaft 17. At its free end, said severing arm 19 has a portion 20 bent inwardly towards the supply wheel at right angles to its main portion and having its upper edge provided with a number of small teeth 21. As appears from the drawing, the teeth are located on a convex edge of the bent arm portion 20.

As appears most clearly from FIG. 3, the severing arm 19 is at its base rigidly connected to a disc-like member 22 having an elongated hub portion, or sleeve, 23 surrounding shaft 17. In the space between shaft 17 and sleeve 23 there is a helical spring 24 which accordingly surrounds shaft 17 and has its one end 24a firmly attached to member 22, whereas its opposite end 24b is secured to a second disc-like member 25. Members 22 and 25 are hereinafter referred to as a roller. Outside sleeve 23 and rotatably journalled thereon is the tape feeding wheel 16 which has a hub portion 26. Interconnecting the sleevelike portion 26 and the rim of wheel 16 is a central web 27. The internal surfaces of said rim have a multiplicity of radially extending grooves, or notches, 28 as shown at the bottom of wheel 16. These grooves interact with two pawls 29 and 30, mounted on disc 22 and 25, respectively. Finally, the feeding and severing mechanism com-- prises a resilient coupling member, such as a cord or a: string 31, the lower end of which is attached to frame 10* as shown at 32, whereas its top end is secured to disc 22. When the device is in its starting or resting position, as

. shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, string 31 surrounds a portion of? the periphery of disc 22.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, tape feeding wheel 16 has a number of circumferential ridges 33. The distance between the two outmost ridges is inferior to the width of the tape, and the envelope line of the ridge tops is slightly convex. It has been found that this arrangement greatly improves the passage of the tape over the periphery of wheel 16. Particularly, it does, during the pulling operation, prevent the tape strip from being damaged at its longitudinal edges and facilitates the guidance and centering of the strip with respect to the wheel 16 and the severing means, respectively.

The operation of the device above described is as follows. Let it be assumed that it is desired to sever a portion 14b from tape strip 14a. The operator does then grip the free end of strip 14a and pulls it in the forward direction, i.e. substantially as shown in FIG. 1. This causes arm 18 to swing forwards whereby a corresponding portion of the tape is fed from the tape reel 14, and the severing arm 19 is swung forwards. This results in that the teeth 21 are successively brought into the immediate vicinity of strip 14a and, when they contact the strip, the portion 14b thereof pulled forward is severed, as clearly shown in FIG. 2. Immediately thereupon arms 18 and 19 are swung backwards to their initial positions through interaction between spring 24, disc member 22 and string 31. As mentioned above, it is possible to select from time to time the length of the tape portion to be severed. More specifically, a tape piece of greater length than that corresponding to the dimensions and the adjustment of the device can be obtained by interrupting the pulling movement after a certain feeding of the tape has taken place. This results in that arm 18 returns to its starting position and, upon continued limited pulling at the free end of the tape, an additional piece of the tape is fed forwards. As is easily understood, one can in that manner have any desired length of tape fed forward and ultimately complete the pulling movement so that the severing means cuts off the strip as above described.

What is to be claimed is:

1. A tape dispenser for adhesive tapes and the like, comprising:

(a) a frame,

(b) a tape supply wheel rotatably mounted on said frame,

(0) a first arm having one end pivotally mounted on said frame and extending beyond said frame and said supply wheel,

(d) a tape feeding wheel rotatably mounted on the free end of said first arm in substantially the same plane as said supply wheel, whereby a pull on the free end of a tape in frictional engagement with said feeding wheel moves said first arm forward and pulls; a fixed length of tape from said supply wheel,

(e) a second arm having one end fixedly attached to said tape feeding wheel and rotatable therewith,

(f) tape severing means on the other end of said second arm at right angles thereto and extending across the plane of said supply wheel and said feeding wheel,

'(g) spring ineans biasing said second arm in a generan' lioriio'r'ital'rafwafd dii'ectiofi, aiid (h) a flexible coupling means of predetermined length attachedto said frame, wound part way around said feeding wheel and fixed at itsotherend to thefeeding wheel second arni assemblage' 'wh'er'eby the'pfeviously mentioned movement 'of said first arm in a forward direction causes said flexible couplin r'nean's to' fog tate said feeding wheel and saidseeo'nfd armagainst the tension of said spring r'nearis and then stops the forward motion of said first arm at apoint determined by the length of said flexilile eoupli'ng' means.

2. A tape dispenser in accordance with claim 1, wherein the flexible coupling means is a string.

tively restrict rotation of said feeding wheel in the reverse direction.

4. A tape dispenser in accordance with claim 1, whereinthe tape severing meansiiasa toothed, cent/ex edge.

5. A tape dispenser in accordance with claim 1 wherein a plurality of peripheral ridges are formed on the feeding wheel and the axial distance between the two outer ridges is less than the width of the tape being dispensed.

6. A tape dispenser in accordancewith claim 1, wherein' a number of peripheral ridges are formed on the feeding wheel and the diameters of the two outer ridges are less 10 than the diameter of the intermediate ridges. v

Recreate; Cit'di'n the me or isparate UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A TAPE DISPENSER FOR ADHESIVE TAPES AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING: (A) A FRAME, (B) A TAPE SUPPLY WHEEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME, (C) A FIRST ARM HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND EXTENDING BEYOND SAID FRAME AND SAID SUPPLY WHEEL, (D) A TAPE FEEDING WHEEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE FREE END OF SAID FIRST ARM IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PLANE AS SAID SUPPLY WHEEL, WHEREBY A PULL ON THE FREE END OF A TAPE IN FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FEEDING WHEEL MOVES SAID FIRST ARM FORWARD AND PULLS A FIXED LENGTH OF TAPE FROM SAID SUPPLY WHEEL, (E) A SECOND ARM HAVING ONE END FIXEDLY ATTACHED TO SAID TAPE FEEDING WHEEL AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH, (F) TAPE SEVERING MEANS ON THE OTHER END OF SAID SECOND ARM AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO AND EXTENDING ACROSS THE PLANE OF SAID SUPPLY WHEEL AND SAID FEEDING WHEEL (G) SPRING MEANS BIASING SAID SECOND ARM IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL REARWARD DIRECTION, AND (H) A FLEXIBLE COUPLING MEANS OF PREDETERMINED LENGTH ATTACHED TO SAID FRAME, WOUND PART WAY AROUND SAID FEEDING WHEEL AND FIXED AT ITS OTHER END TO THE FEEDING WHEEL SECOND ARM ASSEMBLAGE, WHEREBY THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST ARM IN A FORWARD DIRECTION CAUSES SAID FLEXIBLE COUPLING MEANS TO RORATE SAID FEEDING WHEEL AND SAID SECOND ARM AGAINST THE TENSION OF SAID SPRING MEANS AND THEN STOPS THE FORWARD MOTION OF SAID FIRST ARM AT A POINT DETERMINED BY THE LENGTH OF SAID FLEXIBLE COUPLING MEANS. 